


It's Magic

by a2zmom



Series: Saving the World [1]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Comic)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Season/Series 08, Speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-10
Updated: 2010-01-10
Packaged: 2017-10-13 05:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/133705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a2zmom/pseuds/a2zmom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the first story in the "Saving the World" trilogy. Spoilers and speculation for Buffy season 8.</p></blockquote>





	It's Magic

Buffy was frustrated.

The fight had lasted close to thirty minutes and she hadn't found one opening. Whoever Twilight was, he was damn good. He had blocked every one of her moves, almost as if he possessed a sixth sense. Early on in the fight, he had knocked the scythe out of her hands. It was a half step away, but there wasn't any time to scoop back it up. She was going to have to do something, however. She was starting to tire out, her muscles cramping.

Twilight was completely focused on her face and Buffy realized that this was the only advantage she was going to get. Staring back at him, she threw a hard left, even as she could already feel him reaching out to block the punch. In that instant, never giving anything away, she kicked her leg out, sweeping his legs out from under.

She followed him down, grabbing the scythe on the way. Her knees were planted firmly in his chest, the scythe a scant millimeter from his neck. "Take off your mask, jackass," she ground out. "I want to see your face before I kill you."

She didn't even try to hid her shock. Her mouth suddenly so dry that speaking was impossible, she fell backwards as Angel roughly pushed her off and jumped back up. But instead of either taking a shot at her now that she was thoroughly disoriented or fleeing the scene he stood there, unmoving. Buffy jumped up also, scythe still in hand. She took a step toward him and then the blade whistled as it cut through the air, aiming for his neck. It was only at the last second that she changed her grip, so that it swung over his head instead, so close that the very ends of his gelled, stand-up hair was cut off. Through it all, he hadn't moved or said a word. His eyes held nothing but concern and seeing that caused her anger to bubble over. She kneed him viciously in the balls, and watched as he feel to his knees crying out in pain. And just like all those years ago, when she had pulled the exact same move on him, it gave her little satisfaction.

*

Her legs were straight out on front of her, her back arched with her hands flat on the grass. Buffy's head was titled back, staring at the stars. So many here, unlike Sunnydale. She felt so tiny. Had she somehow known earlier that the being who murdered so many slayers was Angel? Had she sensed it months ago and just ignored the warnings? She should have dusted him just now. She had always been weak when it came to him and she hated herself for it.

She didn't shift her position when she felt him arrive, minutes later. He didn't sit right next to her, but close enough that she felt the vibrations when his body met the earth.

"You've spent the last year trying to kill me. You've murdered countless slayer. Teamed up with people who want me dead." She was amazed at how steady her voice was. She waited for his denials. For him to explain that he was working against the military, against Warren, against Amy. She listened to the sound of her own quiet breathing.

"Cordy sent me a vision."

Her first thought was when did he start calling Cordelia "Cordy"? Her second thought was when did he start saying Cordy in the same tone he once used for Buffy? And then inwardly berated herself for being jealous of a dead girl and caring at all what his feelings toward her were. She sat up and crossed her arms over her chest.

"The end of the world is coming," Angel said in a soft voice.

"Right. Been there, done that so often I've got frequent apocalypse miles."

"Not like this." His voice had suddenly become so fierce that she wound up turning her head to see him. Angel was lying on his back, hands behind his head, feet firmly planted on the ground. Only the tension she saw in his shoulders told her that he wasn't relaxed. The moon was just a sliver and even with all the starlight, his face was in shadow. "Not like this," he repeated.

"All those slayers you created caused a tremendous buildup of magical energy. And it's now backwashing. Causing more demons to rise, powerful demons. In a year, there's going to be all out war between humans and demons. And in the vision – humans lose."

"You couldn't have told me this a year ago? Angel, we've dealt with scary things before. I fought a hellgod once."

"I didn't know that you had finally decided to trust me again. Didn't get the e-mail, Buffy."

She could feel heat rising her face flushed. How dare he somehow blame her. She would have listened. He should have at least tried.

He sat up then, twisting his body so that she could finally see his face. His eyes were full of a terrible knowledge. "I've researched this. Examined this from every angle. And there is only one solution. Magic has to be banished."

"But that will be the end of the slayers."

He shrugged. "There won't be any more demons so it won't matter. I have the spell all written down. Amy wasn't that hard to manipulate into figuring it out." He smiled then, and he seemed more at peace than Buffy could remember him being in a long time. "You'll get to have a good life. A long life without death haunting you at every turn. It will work out." He stood then and disappeared into the darkness before Buffy could formulate a response.

Ten minutes later she still didn't have a response. Would the world be better off with no slayers and demons? Safer, she couldn't argue that. But what would happen to Oz if the werewolf magic was ripped out of him? Would he just be normal taciturn Oz once again? And what about Clem? There was lots of kinder, gentler demons and the spell would end them also. No more vampires. That would be a very good thing. Except that no more vampires meant no more Spike. And no more Angel.

Angel. At least she knew what that last look was all about. Cast the spell and he would be no more, ensuring that she would never have to fight again. She hadn't forgiven him. She wasn't sure she ever could. All she had to do was close her eyes and she saw the bodies of so many girls killed in Tibet. But how many people would willing go to their death so that you could have a better life? She had done it once for Dawn, willing leaped so that Dawn could live.

She sighed, no closer to knowing what to do. All she did know was that Angel still loved her. And she was always going to love him.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story in the "Saving the World" trilogy. Spoilers and speculation for Buffy season 8.


End file.
